Electrical appliance having detachable combined switch and connector block



Aug. 25, 1 B. E. NILSSON 2,901,564

ELECTRICAL APPLIANCE HAVING DETACHABLE COMBINED SWITCH AND CONNECTOR BLOCK Filed Dec. 51, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 16 3 Z 26 l/ k 20 l0 INVENTOR BEA/6 T ERIK IV/LSSON A? ATTORNEY Aug. 25, 1959 NILSSON 2,901,564

ELECTRICAL APPLIANCE HAVING DETACHABLE COMBINED SWITCH AND CONNECTOR BLOCK 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 31, 1957 FIG. 4

- I INVENTOR newer ERIK N/LSSON Mam 4 ATTORNEY United States Patent ELECTRICAL APPLIANCEHAVING DETACHABLE COMBINED SWITCH AND CONNECTOR BLOCK Bengt Erik Nilsson, HagerstemSweden, assignor to Aktiebolaget Electrolux, Stockholm, Sweden, a corporation of Sweden Application December 31, 1957, Serial No. 706,316 Claims priority, application Sweden January 10, 1957 4 Claims. (Cl. 200- 51) My invention relates to electrically operable household appliances and particularly to structure for connecting them to a source of electrical supply.

Heretofore, it has often been the practice to provide for household appliances anelectrical cord which is not detachable from the appliance from the outside. With this arrangement, a region of the electrical cord a short distance from its extreme inner end, which is concealed from view, is usually arranged so as to prevent any unusual stress or pull on the cord from being transmitted to the extreme inner end of the cord which is connected to suitable electrical terminals in the appliance. This is objectionable because an owner of an appliance is reluctant to undertake whatever is necessary if the cord should become defective or the switch require inspection or repair and, therefore, will be likely to require the services of an electrician specializing in the repairof household appliances.

It is an object of my invention-to provide a household appliance having a combined switch and connector block which is removably secured thereto and with which the electrical cord of the appliance is associated.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds, and the features'of novelty which characterize my inven tion will be pointed out with' particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification.

For a better understanding of my invention, reference may be had to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a vacuum cleaner provided with a combined switch and connector block embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the combined switch and connector block embodied in the vacuum cleaner shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary View, partly broken away and in section, of a part of the vacuum cleaner shown in Fig. 1 to illustrate the combined switch and connector block more clearly;

Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the combined switch and connector block shown in Figs. 2 and 3 to illustrate details;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the vacuum cleaner to illustrate the manner in which the combined switch and connector block is positioned thereon; and

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic representation of the motor and combined switch and connector block embodied in the vacuum cleaner illustrated in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, I have shown my invention in connection with a horizontal tank-type cleaner 10 which includes a casing 11 having an end cover 11a. The end cover 11a is provided with an inlet to which a suction hose 11b is adapted to be removably connected in any suitable manner (not shown). Suitable cleaning appliances may be connected to a wand (not shown) which in turn is adapted to be connected to the outer free end ice of the hose 11b and through whichair is drawn into the casing 11 by a fan (not shown) which is driven by an electric motor 36a having an armature 36 and field windings 37 connected in series relation therewith, as shown in Fig. 6. Dust and dirt entrained in the air during a cleaning operation are separated from the air when the latter passes through a dust collecting member (not shown) disposed in the casing, and air from which dust and dirt have been removed is discharged from the casing 11 from the end thereof opposite the end cover 11a.

In accordance with my invention, the top of the casing is formed with an opening to receive a box or receptacle 13 which is cup-shaped and forms a cavity or recess in which is adapted-to be positioned a combined switch and connector block 12. As' best shown in Fig. 3, the upper part of the sidewall of the receptacle 13 is provided with a flange 13a to ,hold in position a gasket 20 adapted to bear against the underside of the top part of the casing 11 at the vicinity of the opening therein. A transverse wall 21 within the casing 11 is provided with an arm or bracket 22 which extends lengthwise of the casing and serves as a support for the receptacle 13.

As best shown in Figs. 3 and 4, a pair of contact fingers or pins 34 is embedded in-the-bottom of the receptacle 13 which may be molded of suitable insulating material. The lower ends-ofthe pins,34 are connected by conductors 34a .to links 35 which in'turn are connected to the field windings 37 of'themotor 36, as diagrammatically illustratedin Fig. .6. A condenser 38may be connected across the links 35. It should now be understood that the receptacle 13, pins 34 embedded therein and connections to the motor 36a form aunitary part of the vacuum cleaner 11 and normally will not be disturbed except when it becomes necessary to gain access to the motor 36a for cleaning, inspection or repair.

The combined switch and connector block 12 comprises a two-part shell having a bottom 15 and cover 14 therefor. In the cover 14 are fixed a pair of hollow bushings 16 which are internally-threaded to receive hollow tightening screws 17 extending upwardly through openings 17a'in the bottom 15. After the topand bottom shell parts 14 and 15 are secured together by the hollow screws 17, the shell 12 may be removably secured in the receptacle 13 by screws 19 which pass through the hollow screws 17 and threadedly engage internally threaded hollow bushings 19a fixed to the bottom part of the receptacle. As seen in Fig. 3, the cover 14 of the shell 12 overlies the peripheral edge of the opening in casing 11. Hence, when the shell 12 is secured by the screws 19 to the receptacle 13, the latter is drawn upwardly so thatthe gasket 20 will provide an air-tight seal at the top of the casing 11 about the opening therein.

Within the bottom 15 of the shell 12 is fixed a switch 30a having an operating button 30 which extends upwardly through an opening 24 in the cover 14. An electrical cord 26 having conductors 31 and 32 passes through an opening 23 in the cover 14, and, at a region removed from the extreme end thereof, is held by a U-shaped clamp 28 removably secured at 29 to the bottom 15. The U-shaped clamp 28, which serves to relieve the extreme ends of conductors. 32 and 33 from any strain to which the electrical cord 26 may be subjected, is adapted to fit beneath the cover 14 at the region of a raised part or hood at the vicinity of opening 23.

As best seen in Fig. 3, the conductor 31 is connected at 33a to a resilient clip 33 of inverted U-shape form. The conductor 32 is connected to one terminal of the switch 30a and a conductor 3% connects the opposite terminal of switch 30a to a second resilient clip 33, as diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 6. The resilient clips 33 are in such a position in the shell 12 that, when the shell is positioned in the box 13 to be secured thereto by 3 the screws 19, the clips 33 will readily move into engagement with the contact fingers 34, as best seen in Fig. 3.

It will now be understood that the electrical cord 26 forms a unitary part of the combined switch and connector block 12 which is formed of suitable insulating material. When it becomes necessary to inspect or re pair the switch 30a or the electrical cord 26 at any time, the combined switch and connector block 12 can readily be removed from the casing 11 by simply loosening and removing the screws 19. When the shell 12 is withdrawn from the receptacle 13, the resilient clips 33 automatically move out of engagement with the contact fingers or pins 34. Conversely, when the shell 12 is secured in position on the casing 11 after the completion of any repairs or inspection, the resilient clips 33 automatically move into engagement with the pins 34 when the shell 12 is positioned in the box 13 preparatory to fastening the shell in position by the fastening screws 19.

Although I have shown and described a single embodiment of my improved switch and connector block for a vacuum cleaner, I do not wish to be limited to the particular arrangement set forth, and I intend in the following claims to cover all modifications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. An electrically operable household appliance having an electrical circuit including a first pair of metal members accessible from the exterior thereof, a combined switch and electrical connector comprising structure which is formed of insulating material and provides a chamber having a pair of openings and a pair of slots in the wall thereof, a switch in said chamber having an operating member accessible exteriorly of said structure at one of the openings therein, an electrical cord having first and second conductors insulated from one another, one end of said cord being adapted to be connected to a source of electrical supply and the opposite end thereof extending through the other opening into said chamber, a third conductor in said chamber which is connected to said first conductor with said switch connected therebetween, a pair of connecting means in said chamber fixed to the inner wall surface of said structure for respectively connecting thereto the second and third conductors, a second pair of metal members which extend from said connecting means, means for detachably mounting said structure on said appliance, one of said pairs of metal members extending through the slots to efiect electrical contact with the other of said pairs of metal members when said structure is detachably mounted on said appliance.

2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which said second pair of metal members comprises resilient elements and said first pair of metal members comprises prongs which are received by said slots to eifect electrical contact with said resilient elements when said structure is detachably mounted on said appliance.

3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which said structure comprises a two-part shell, and means including hollow elements for removably securing the two-part shell together, said means for detachably mounting said two-part shell on said appliance including members extending through said hollow elements.

4. A combined switch and electrical connector comprising structure which is formed of insulating material and provides a chamber having a pair of slots and a pair of openings in the wall thereof, a switch in said chamber having an operating member accessible exteriorly of said structure at one of the openings therein, an electrical cord comprising first and second conductors insulated from one another, one end of said cord being adapted to be connected to a source of electrical supply and the other end extending through the other opening into the chamber, a third conductor in said chamber which is connected to the first conductor with said switch connected therebetween, a pair of connecting means in said chamber fixed to the inner wall surface of said structure for respectively connecting thereto the second and third conductors, and resilient metal members extending from said connecting means, said slots being adapted to receive a pair of prongs to effect electrical contact with said resilient metal members.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

